Turkey threatens to open borders to migrants after EU talks freeze
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E-mail Xinhua, November 25, 2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to open borders to illegal migrants to flood into Europe, one day after European lawmakers voted to freeze talks over Ankara's accession to the European Union.
"If you go further, those border gates will be opened. You should know that," the president, who had made similar threat in the past, said at a meeting in Istanbul.
He slammed Europe for "never being honest toward the humanity," saying Turkey opened its borders to save refugees from "barrel bombs."
While Ankara has spent 15 billion U.S. dollars for more than 3 million refugees being sheltered on its soil, the European Union has only offered some 700 million dollars in aid, the Turkish leader said.
A day earlier, the European Parliament voted in favor of a non-binding motion on suspending membership talks with Turkey, sparking strong reactions from the country.
Erdogan dismissed the vote as being valueless for his country.
EU nations have been criticizing Turkey over what they called "disproportionately repressive measures" adopted in the wake of a failed military coup in July, in which 246 people were killed.
More than 100,000 people have been suspended or dismissed in the ensuing crackdown, in which dozens of media outlets have been shuttered.
Ankara, for its part, has been critical of the EU over its stance toward the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is recognized as a terror group as well by the bloc and the United States, and an organization led by the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who is accused of orchestrating the coup attempt.
Turkey has helped reduce significantly the number of migrants crossing into Europe via the Aegean Sea under a deal reached with the EU in March.
Turkey applied to join the EU in 1987 and started the accession talks in 2005, but the talks have faltered in recent years due to disagreements over issues like refugees and human rights.
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